Assault on Green Monster leads to Indians 10-6 nod over Red Sox

Published: May 10, 2004 8:00 PM

BOSTON (AP) Jeff DAmico and Byung-Hyun Kim wont have a chance for another rematch for a while.The two pitchers faced each other for the second time in a row, and for the second straight time they both struggled.After Cleveland beat Boston 10-6 on Monday night to snap a five-game losing streak, the Red Sox dropped Kim from the starting rotation, and Indians manager Eric Wedge sounded ready to skip DAmicos next turn in favor of Chad Durbin.Weve got a day off coming up here. Were going to pitch the best starters we have, Wedge said. Ive always said Durbin will have a chance to start at some point. I think he did a good job today.Kim lasted just 3 1-3 innings and gave up six runs four earned and two more on a passed ball when he crossed up catcher Jason Varitek. DAmico allowed four runs in 2 2-3 innings but avoided the loss because Durbin (3-3) was able to hold Boston to just one more run through the fifth.Durbin relieved DAmico with runners on first and third with two outs in the third and got Pokey Reese to line out to center to end the inning.Durbin gave up one hit Brian Daubachs solo homer and two walks while striking out three. DAmico, who has a 7.92 ERA, will return to Cleveland on Tuesday to have his back checked out.I just went out there battling with control, he said. Its harder than it needs to be.Ben Broussard hit two of Clevelands eight doubles and Ronnie Belliard had two hits to raise his AL-leading batting average to .383.Kim (1-1) gave up five hits and three walks in 3 1-3 innings before leaving to catcalls from the Fenway crowd. Manager Terry Francona said the team hadnt decided whether Kim, who has a 6.17 ERA, will go to the minors or the bullpen.Right now, its just not working starting, Francona said. I dont think its fair to him or to us. So were going to make a change for now.Bronson Arroyo will start Saturday in Toronto.Its an opportunity for me, Arroyo said. Ive just got to try to step in and run with it.The Indians hit the ball off the Green Monster three times in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. After Boston tied it, Cleveland scored twice on Variteks passed ball.Varitek also hit a solo homer, and Johnny Damon had three singles for the Red Sox, who lost their second straight game. Boston threw out five Cleveland runners on the basepaths.It was a rematch of last Wednesdays matchup between DAmico and Kim in Cleveland, when the two combined to allow 11 earned runs and neither made it to the sixth inning. But the Indians won this time, thanks to four shots off Fenways left-field wall and two more that short-hopped it.Matt Lawton hit a leadoff double off the Green Monster to open the game, then scored two outs later on Victor Martinezs double. Travis Hafner singled off the Monster to score Martinez, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double to end the inning.Damon singled to open the first for Boston and scored on Mark Bellhorns triple. Bellhorn scored to make it 2-2 when David Ortiz singled, but DAmico got the next three batters to escape further damage.Broussard doubled with one out in the second, Lou Merloni walked and they both moved up on Coco Crisps groundout. With Lawton batting, Kim crossed up Varitek and the ball went to the backstop. Varitek had trouble finding it and both runners scored.Lawton walked, but was picked off to end the inning.Cleveland took the lead for good in the fourth when Belliard doubled, Broussard was hit by a pitch and Merloni walked to load the bases. Crisp singled in one run and Lawtons sacrifice fly scored another to make it 6-4.Belliard singled and scored in the sixth to make it 7-5. The Indians added two runs in the seventh on an RBI double by Hafner and Broussards run-scoring single.After Variteks homer made it 9-6, Martinez added an RBI single in the ninth.Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez missed his first start of the season because he was being sworn in as a U.S. citizen in Miami. General manager Theo Epstein said the team was notified in advance and Ramirez was given permission to miss the game.Blue Jays 9, Royals 3KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Switch-hitter Orlando Hudson hit the first two homers of his career right-handed and drove in four runs, leading Toronto over Kansas City.Reed Johnson went 3-for-5 with a homer for Toronto, which won its sixth straight and extended its winning streak at Kauffman Stadium to eight games. The Royals (9-21) are off to their worst start after 30 games since the 1992 team started 8-22.Juan Gonzalez hit a solo homer off Pat Hentgen (2-2) in the seventh for Kansas City, giving him 1,400 career RBIs. Hentgen struck out a season-high five in 6 1-3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits with two walks.Brian Anderson (1-4) lost his fourth straight start, giving up eight runs four unearned and 13 hits.